Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 29: Chapter 27: An Adult’s Dignity

"So that’s what this is about. Director Chen, I’m so sorry to have caused you trouble. Please give me some time, and I’ll try to sort it out. Is that alright?"

’Even though she wasn’t the one causing the scene, the issue did stem from her. It was a fact that she’d made trouble for the production, so she couldn’t blame Chen Zhiwen for his attitude.’

’If she could resolve it, she’d act like nothing happened and get back to filming. If not, she’d just take the money and walk away, clean and simple. She’d just consider it compensation from Bai Jian for her emotional distress.’

’Her starting point in this life was already so much higher than before. If this show fell through, she’d just find another. As long as she worked hard, things would keep getting better. She refused to believe the entire entertainment circle was owned by the Bais.’

"It would be best if you can resolve this. Don’t let relationship issues affect your work. This role is very important, and you’ve already signed the contract. If we terminate it, the production not only has to pay a breach of contract fee, but we also have to recast the part. Someone else will probably cover the fee, and recasting is easy enough, but I’ve already tailored the shooting details to your specific strengths. If we get someone new, I’ll have to do all that work over again. Put yourself in my shoes—would you be happy about it?"

Perhaps seeing her cooperative attitude, Chen Zhiwen’s tone softened.

Ni Bingyan remained polite throughout, offering a string of apologies before Chen Zhiwen finally hung up.

"Sigh!"

’This wasn’t a complicated matter, just a tricky one to handle!’

Seeing her hang up and stare into space, Peng Huan couldn’t help but clear her throat.

’It’s always so hard for an adult to maintain their dignity.’

’You never know when that carefully constructed facade might suddenly shatter, revealing the embarrassing truth underneath.’

When Ni Bingyan had just taken the call, Peng Huan had been too worried to step away. The rental house was small, and she’d overheard everything Director Chen said. Now, standing in the doorway, she was stuck. She couldn’t move forward, and she couldn’t retreat. It was beyond awkward!

A female celebrity’s love life was always a sensitive topic due to things like their public image. Even among friends, there was an unwritten rule not to pry. Having eavesdropped by accident, she wasn’t sure if Ni Bingyan would mind.

Ni Bingyan had always been frank and open. She didn’t usually bring up her past, mainly because she saw it as the original owner’s private life. She already felt guilty enough for knowing so much thanks to the memories she’d inherited. Spreading it around to others would be a sign of seriously flawed character.

’But now that someone knows, it’s better to be open about it than to hide it and let people’s imaginations run wild.’

’That was the best course of action for both herself and the body’s original owner.’

"Sister Huanhuan, what’s with that look on your face? I’m not a pop idol; I don’t make a living off fan engagement. I’m not afraid of people knowing I’m dating. Besides, I’m already twenty-five, so it’s not like it’s some puppy-love romance. I just don’t usually bring it up because it’s in the past, and there’s no point in rehashing it."

Ni Bingyan stood up and grabbed a bottle of water. She twisted it open and handed it to Peng Huan before opening one for herself. After wetting her throat, she continued:

"When I was younger, I used to think love was the most important thing in the world. I didn’t focus on my acting, just spent all my time revolving around some guy. But recently, I realized there’s no point in living like that. Loving yourself is more important than loving someone else, so I broke up with him. It wasn’t a big fight or anything; we split up very peacefully."

"So this person who’s giving you a hard time now, do you know her?"

"Probably the current girlfriend. I have no idea what her deal is, coming after me like this. I need to make a call and set things straight. I mean, who spends all day obsessing over their partner’s ex? If it bothers her that much, couldn’t she just find someone who’s never dated before? This is completely uncalled for. Ugh, my luck is the worst! The next day I get off, I’m definitely going to the mountains to pray."

They weren’t far from Kongtong Mountain. An old lady on set, Qin Fengjun, was a believer in both Buddhism and Taoism and often talked about how powerful a certain Heavenly Venerable or Bodhisattva was. Some of the crew liked to go for a visit whenever they had a day off.

She’d been wanting to go too, but her schedule was tight and her workload heavy, so she’d never found the time.

"Sounds good, I’ll go with you. Maybe I can pray for a good match or something. Then my mom might stop nagging me about being in my thirties and still unmarried."

Seeing that she’d made Ni Bingyan laugh, she asked, "So, do you have her number? Don’t you think you’ll just start a fight if you call her directly?"

"What’s there to fight about? I have no plans to get back together with him, so there’s absolutely no conflict of interest with his current girlfriend."

When she saw the look on Peng Huan’s face, it dawned on her. "I’m calling my ex, not that woman! In situations like this, a smart woman resolves things with the man. Only a stupid woman would go after the other woman! I’m not going to be that dumb. Why would I bother with someone I don’t even know?"

’Come to think of it, this ’White Moonlight’ isn’t as clever as the ones they write about in novels!’